Bono thanked the Irish soccer team for being 'the greatest support act we could have had', writes Mary Minihan.

Fireworks, beer and toilet roll hurtled skywards following Saturday's spirited performance at Slane Castle.

Bono later thanked the Irish soccer team for being 'the greatest support act we could have had'.

The Ireland v Holland match was screened during the event, which featured Moby, Ash, Nelly Furtado, The Walls and Dara.

When Jason McAteer's goal set chants of "Olé, olé, olé, olé" reverberating around the venue, you almost pitied the act due to follow. However, Bono later felt confident enough to twist the lyrics of the song Angel of Harlem to proclaim "tonight Slane Castle belongs to me".

The band drew extensively from their back catalogue but began and ended the set with tracks from the current album, All That You Can't Leave Behind.

Bono's mood seemed to swing from playful to serious during the concert. At one point, he kicked an inflatable football into the cheering crowd. Then, over the closing chords of Sunday Bloody Sunday, he spoke the names of those who died in the Omagh bombing.